Thanks to those of you who were able to join Aaron David Miller and me for a riveting deep dive on the US-Israeli war against Iran. Aaron is one of the smartest and most experienced foreign policy hands out there, widely regarded as a top expert on US foreign policy in the Middle East. A regular go-to commentator for BBC, NPR, NYT, and more, he is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Aaron spent a quarter-century advising Secretaries of State for both parties in shaping America’s Middle East policy. (You can read more about him here.)
Some of the key topics we discussed were:
The unprecedented nature of the US-Israeli war against Iran, in historical perspective
How Trump’s personal interests in money, power, and glory are shaping US foreign policy
Current (bad) options for US foreign policy and what Aaron would advise President Trump to do now
Israeli aims in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria and how Netanyahu is trying to reshape the broader Middle East
Gulf states’ divergent foreign policy aims/interests and Saudi Crown Prince MBS’s interventions with Trump
Why Trump can compel Netanyahu to end the war at any time (perhaps not for the reasons you think)
The deleterious impact of the war on US-Israeli relations and on the safety of Jews in the US and the broader Diaspora
We packed quite a bit into a relatively short episode of The Debrief! I highly recommend it and hope that you’ll share it far and wide.
Friends, if you appreciate my work, I hope you’ll pitch in to support The Debrief. If you’re not a paid subscriber, please consider becoming one now. You can also leave a tip (one-time donation). Big thanks!
Wishing folks who are celebrating chag sameach (happy holiday), a zissen Pesach (a sweet Passover), and a happy Easter!
Warm regards,
Debra
